Israel has every right to protect itself against terrorism. The questions that swirl around Israel's policies focus on whether its actions create more security for the Jewish state or less. The Israeli government's decision last week to bar a Palestinian delegation from attending a London peace conference is only the most recent such move. Sabotaging a peace conference will not be in Israel's best interests.

In an attempt to jump-start the stalled "quartet process" -- so named because its participants include the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- Britain had planned to hold a two-day peace conference this week in London. The discussions would have focused on a possible truce between Israelis and Palestinians and reform of the Palestinian Authority, both of which have been Israeli preconditions to any peace deal. An additional target of the meeting was the U.S., which has shown a reluctance to get involved in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking.

By demonstrating the contours of a deal, and the willingness of the Palestinians to move on key issues, British Prime Minister Tony Blair had hoped to prod Washington into a more active role. The decision by the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to deny the Palestinians permission to travel makes that impossible.